So I've broke my vegetarianism.
I'm a little sad about it I won't lie. I think I lasted... about 4 years. Not bad. The reasons I chose to become a vegetarian still exist and I still feel strongly about them so I do find myself feeling guilty at times. I read in a book called the thrive diet a lot about the acidity of meat and the fact that it's really hard for the body to digest and often times sits in your intestines for a undetermined amount of time (which I really hate to think about). There is also the environmental reasons behind my choice that are really the reasons that make me feel guilty. I just try to make decisions to eat little meat. Although the diet here isn't formed so largely of meat as it seems to be in the prairies of Alberta. Also the meat in China is not so commonly mass produced and farmed like it is at home. You're more likely to be eating beef or chicken from a local farm.
It's really difficult where we're living to keep a vegetarian diet and not be lacking in protein. If I was just living a regular life here and not training for 8 hours and some per day then I think it wouldn't be a problem. Eggs and tofu are not totally uncommon. But I also have been living at the school for over a year now and I have to say that not eating meat here is pretty brutal. There is very little variety in the vegetables cooked at the school and eating cabbage, beansprouts, and squash really loses it's appeal after some point. You would think, living in the country that invented a lot of meat supplements, that there would be a lot of options for meat replacement. But maybe it's because we're living in a smaller town that these things are not available. It's frustrating never the less.
My mom did make the point that once I return home I always have the option of going back to being vegetarian. The initial transition was pretty hard last time but there's so many more option for delicious vegetarian food, and I generally cook my own food a lot when I'm living at home I have more of a choice of the things I need to eat.
1 comment:
Don't beat yourself up too badly, Mel, after all you do have to survive over there for a few more years. We can't have you starving to death while doing it. I am sure that you are making the best food choices that you can in the circumstances. I miss you and think of you often while training, especially when something is funny, I can hear your laughter. I can't wait to see you guys at Christmas.
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